granola

Textures. Salty and sweet. Smooth and rough. Liquid and crunch. That’s what I like. Something with some bite. I love a hearty soup in Autumn and Winter, but sometimes miss the motion of chewing or crunching on some ‘substance’, this savoury turmeric granola was a whimsical idea that turned out rather fantastic. We have made it on repeat since then and pack it into a jar for easy accessibility at every meal time. Read more

June has arrived, it is officially summer here in the UK. The sky is blue today and with the blue sky comes bright light that highlights the many shades of green that make up our current view. Left is green, to my right is green, green is my happy colour. I can here the lambs calling to their mother’s, the birds tweeting to each other, and if we are lucky, the tiny squeaking of the newest members to the canal – 7 little signets. Our little floating home is like an observatory into the wonders of nature. Life is good.

I bring this post with a huge dollop of excitement! Whilst this was slowly roasting in the oven, I could smell the faint, sweet wafts of gentle rose, I couldn’t wait to dig in. I am very much pro granola, remember this awesome oat-y bowl? Or this one? As I am sure you are aware, dear readers, I am passionate about using organic produce. My recent experience of a night with other organic food lovers only cemented what an important thing it is. Wake Up To Organic has already launched, in partnership with Soil Association and The Organic Trade Board, and is gearing up for a nationwide event on June 15th 2016. Independent retailers across the UK will be hosting #‎WakeuptoOrganic‬ events serving up breakfasts, hosting blogger demos, and visits with visits from local suppliers and producers. I was keen to get on board and be part of encouraging people to eat more organic produce. Wild Oats are taking part and you can find all the ingredients to this recipe in the store. You can also pick up a recipe card to take home with you, so you can get making this awesome granola. Head over there on June 15th to see how they’re spreading the organic love!

Eating organic doesn’t have to cost a fortune. How about swapping your daily latte for a packet of organic flour? Ditch that weekly takeaway and go and stock up on a basket of organic veg. This rose and pistachio granola recipe is low cost, and will make satisfy many a grumbling belly. Slow roasted oats, nuts and rose petals, coming to a bowl near you! Happy organic summer pals!

I have a confession. It’s one I have been denying for a while now. Charlie tells me it regularly, but I have been slightly blind sighted. I shut the cupboard doors quickly, and ram in another hanger in the over-flowing wardrobe.

Yes, I am a hoarder.

I collect things I think will be important, things I am sure I will use again and again. Yes, I do need another pink wig. And a 15th pair of sunglasses. No, I can’t make my trainer collection smaller, and it is absolutely necessary to have that hula-hula skirt I found at a festival. The trouble is, when you live on a boat, you cannot be a hoarder. You have to condense your life down to the very most important things. How am I supposed to do this when EVERYTHING is important. It is a topic which often turns into a heated discussion between Charlie and I. He doesn’t like ‘stuff’, I love ‘stuff’. Here lies the problem.

Every September, we arrive back on the boat after some time in the fields, and I cry and despair because I don’t know how we are going to be able to unpack. I try to have a clear-out, but it never seems to work. All the storage space we have is full, and the boat is a mess. How could we possibly get organised, when there was no room to organise anything? I decided enough was enough. I sat myself down, gave myself a little pep talk, and got my ‘clearing out’ head on.

It took all day, copious amounts of tea, a few tears, and many cookies. I was ruthless with my clothes, anything not worn in over 2 months could go, shoes hiding at the back of the rack were out. The kitchen cupboards were organised, I know now exactly what is in them (we’re going to be eating rice until 2017), and where. Given the fact that we can only have about 3 people visiting at once, I figured we don’t need 20 dinner plates, or 25 side plates! We gave sacks and sacks of clothes to charity, blankets to people in need, and set up a stall on the towpath with a big ‘FREE – HELP YOURSELF’ sign.

There’s still more sorting to be done, but the boat is looking better. What surprised me most, is how good it actually felt. What I thought would stress me out, and the reason I’d be putting it off for so long, actually made me feel so much better. A sense of calm came over me, and it didn’t break me. Plus, now I have MORE SPACE FOR NEW THINGS! (I’m only slightly joking….)

Cleaning out one of our kitchen cupboards, I realised we had a great variety of nuts and seeds. They are great things to keep a good stock of, as we use them often. Perfect for a ‘throw-everything-in-a-bowl-granola-mix’. In my eagerness, none of this recipe was measured, apart from the syrup and coconut oil. Clear out those cupboards, chuck it in, mix it, bake it, and amp up your granola game.

The boat is currently moored in a nice secluded woody area, surrounded by humungous trees and fields of horses. It also appears to be a bit of a black hole, connection wise. No internet, no phone signal. Just me and my mind. It’s been both good and bad. I don’t like feeling disconnected. But I also know that this current world is full of too much information. My brain feels like a matrix of words and news sometimes, forever buzzing and processing all the information we have access to. Social media has made switching off and being present much harder. Anxiety levels are on the rise in everybody, because life has turned into one big popularity contest.

It scares me a lot, how much this world now relies on constant sources of information and technology. We’ve forgotten how to appreciate the simple things in life, like the birds singing their songs, fresh from their migration back to the UK, fields of yellow popping up as the warmer weather arrives, the crisp morning air. We need to revel in the marvel that is this beautiful planet. Put down that screen and look outside, and around you. Breathe life.

These bars are a great energy source, a vital addition to any lunchbox and a great snack for that afternoon stroll through the countryside. They’re also free of all the rubbish that you get in store bought bars.

Sometimes I stare at this screen for so long I think my eyes might turn into rectangular shapes. Willing words to flow into this box, but sometimes it doesn’t happen so easily. And that’s OK, sometimes just the recipe will do. So here it is.

I love granola, however recently my teeth have been super sensitive and I find most granola is too crunchy for my soft teeth. Once in a while, I’ll treat myself and ignore the sensitivity so I can enjoy one of my favourite things. This granola has a bit of everything, just the way I like it.

Whenever I cook quinoa, I cook WAY too much, and sometimes don’t know what to use the leftovers for. This is a great recipe to use it up. Oh, don’t forget this one too.